Principal Update

Chris Quinn

Dear Western Port SC Community,

Womin Djeka - Welcome to another edition of the Western Port Word, filled with messages of pride and the progress and achievements we've made as a college this term. As I stand at the gate every morning to welcome our students to school and ensure they are set up for success for the day, I continue to be impressed with the way our CARE values of Community, Achievement, Respect and Engagement are alive in our students through these daily interactions.

Please remember to provide your young person with a note for any uniform issue that requires a short-term pass. If the uniform issue is not short-term, we will will attempt to provide loan items and where needed, organise vouchers for significantly discounted new items from Balleza Uniform Shop in Somerville. If you have any questions regarding this, please contact the college at 0359791577 or via email at western.port.sc@education.vic.gov.au.

Our annual Western Port SC ANZAC service was again a highlight of the school calendar, with Parent Denna Menze and Hastings RSL member Boof Dollinson sharing personalized accounts of what ANZAC Day means to them. Hastings and Crib Point services were attended by our school captains and vice-captains along with myself and Jack Waller as our ADF mentor. We were so proud of how our students represented the respect that our college community has for our ADF personnel.

Our sporting accomplishments continue to grow from strength to strength, with a number of individual and team successes across inter school, district athletics and district cross country events. We have also seen some amazing personal state-level achievements from Daniel Collins, who came third in freestyle and second in backstroke, and Sam Field, who was selected to represent Victoria in the Under 15 Boys Cricket team! #WPSCpride

Another highlight of our school calendar is Reconciliation Week which starts today with events being driven by our Western Port Mob. With the focus on 'Now More than Ever', we need to continue to build cultural awareness and cultural safety across our school community. Our Koorie Gathering Space remains pivotal to this which is located at the main gates of our college representing the term WOMIN DJEKA which is translated as hello and welcome. We have the privilege of Uncle Shane Clarke conducting a Welcome to Country and a Smoking Ceremony for all members of our college on Wednesday 29th May, which will be a highlight of the week. Other events across the week include a Mob Cook-Up, Totem painting, a Didgeridoo workshop with Ganga Giri, Canvas painting with everything culminating in a free dress day on Friday 31st May, with all students expected to wear the flag colours of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islands.

Our Senior School Information Night is on tonight, so please join us onsite for students entering Year 10, 11, and 12 in 2025 as we dive deep into the three pathway options available for students' completion of a senior certificate. We will also provide more explanation of what VET, SBAT, SWL, and ATAR all mean for students. The information session will begin at 5:30 pm, with a BBQ and drinks provided at the end of the session as we showcase our amazing new senior centre.

Finally, I want to thank our parent community for the feedback provided via the regular parent surveys on Compass which will come out again this week. This feedback helps us continue to refine our work to best cater to the educational experiences of our students which is shaped by your reflections of our works as parents/carers.

Kind Regards,

Chris Quinn

Principal